Does low testosterone put you at greater risk of death? Or for Heart Attacks? This study from Australia published November 2013 “In older men an optimal plasma testosterone is associated with reduced all-cause mortality and higher dihydrotestosterone with reduced ischemic heart disease mortality, while estradiol levels do not predict mortality”.

The study looked at 3690 men ages 70-89 in Perth Australia from 2001 to 2004 tracking deaths until 2010. They measured total testosterone and the testosterone metabolite, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol in morning samples and looked at deaths from all causes and those from ischemic heart disease (IHD)- heart attacks. There were 974 deaths (24%) with a third being from IHD.

Men with mid-range levels for testosterone and DHT had the lowest death rates from any cause and those with higher DHT had lower IHD mortality. There was no association with estradiol levels. This makes sense since there is a known strong association between higher levels of testosterone and improved insulin resistance, weight loss, muscle strength (remember the heart is a muscle) and heart health. Since testosterone is an anabolic steroid, at very high levels of testosterone one might expect greater growth of tumors and cancers, hence the lowest death rates from all causes was in the midrange group of men.

This study confirms my recommendation at Natura Integrative Medicine, that those patients needing hormone replacement therapy should aim for midrange levels while implementing lifestyle changes that will promote heart health, weight loss if that is needed, and reduce stress and toxin exposure.

This study is viewable only as an abstract unless you subscribe to this particular periodical. You can read the abstract here…